Lecturers
Compulsory modules
Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency System and Concepts
Dr. - Ing. Volkhard Scholz
CURRENT POSITION
Volkhard Scholz is a retired researcher of an agricultural engineering and environmentally oriented research centre in Potsdam near Berlin. More than 20 years, he worked in the area of renewable energy in rural areas and for the last 10 years, he has been giving lectures and supervising students in the technological basics of renewable energies at the Berlin University of Applied Sciences and Technology (BHT).
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
He has specialized in the sustainable production and use of solar energy and bioenergy and has managed various projects in research and in practice. The results were published in more than 100 articles in international journals and books. Aside from his R&D activities, he worked as a consultant and lecturer in Germany, but also abroad in Brazil, Nigeria, Costa Rica and in other countries.
EDUCATION
Volkhard Scholz holds degrees in Mechanical Engineering (Dipl.-Ing. at Technical University Dresden), Tropical Agriculture (Ing. at University Leipzig), and a PhD in Engineering Sciences (Dr.-Ing. at University Rostock).
Energy Policy and Economic Framework
Toby Couture
CURRENT POSITION
Toby Couture is Founder and Director of E3 Analytics, an international energy consultancy based in Berlin, Germany.
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Toby Couture has twenty years of experience in the renewable energy and energy efficiency sectors and has advised policymakers, regulators and developers in over fifty countries around the world. This includes projects with leading international organizations, including IRENA, GIZ, the World Bank, the IFC, UNDP, UNIDO, as well as the UN Foundation.
EDUCATION
Mr. Couture is fluent in French, English, and German, and can speak basic Spanish and Greek. He is a previous recipient of the Fulbright Scholarship, has studied renewable energy finance in France, has a Master’s degree in Environmental Policy from the University of Moncton in Canada, as well as an MSc. in Financial and Commercial Regulation from the London School of Economics in the UK.
Accounting
Prof. Dr. Hans Schmitz
CURRENT POSITION
Hans Schmitz is Professor for Management Accounting and Management Control at Berliner Hochschule für Technik (BHT) (Germany). Because of his expertise in different aspects of e-learning, he is a member of the e-learning team at (BHT) and manages an online bachelor degree program “industrial engineering”. His research interests focus on behavioral aspects of management accounting and the design of accounting information systems. He has (co-)authored textbooks and academic articles on these topics.
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Prior to his present position he worked for the University of Mannheim and Technische Universität Berlin in Germany. He has been teaching management accounting and management control courses on bachelor and master level and in professional training courses.
Hans Schmitz gained industry experience from several consulting projects dealing with the design of management accounting systems and the implementation of IT-systems for accounting.
EDUCATION
Hans Schmitz holds a PhD in Management Sciences of the University of Mannheim (Germany) and a degree as Industrial Engineer from Technische Universität Berlin (Germany). He received the postdoctoral lecture qualification (venia legendi) for business administration from the University of Mannheim.
International Business Law
Mr. Maximilian Feustel
CURRENT POSITION
Maximilian Feustel is a German-qualified lawyer specializing in project finance and renewable energy law. He is currently head of legal at Global Tech I, a 400 MW wind farm in the North Sea. He is also a partner at gunner Cooke, where he advises on renewable energy and project financing.
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Maximilian is a corporate and contracts lawyer with over 15 years of experience in project finance and the renewable energy and sustainable infrastructure sector.
Working with project developers, banks, and investors as well as in-house for an offshore windfarm, he has provided legal advice to a wide range of clients in the renewable energy sector concerning the planning, construction, operation, and financing of renewable energy projects as well as the sale and purchase of such projects.
EDUCATION
He was admitted to the German bar in 2005. He holds an LL.M. degree from Maastricht University (Netherlands) after completing the University’s Magister Iuirs Communis program on European, comparative, and international law. He studied law at Heidelberg University (Germany).”
Investment and Financing
Prof. Dr. Andreas Taschner
CURRENT POSITION
Andreas Taschner is Professor for Management Accounting at ESB Business School of Reutlingen University (Germany).
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Prior to his present position he was Professor at Berliner Hochschule für Technik (BHT). His major teaching and research interests are Management Accounting (with particular focus on supply chains), management reporting and business cases / investment appraisal techniques (with a focus on renewable energies). He has authored various books and scholarly articles in this field.
Andreas Taschner has more than ten year of industry experience. He has held various functions in the telecommunications industry and was department head with responsibility for management accounting, cost control and management control systems for business unit “services” in a German manufacturing company.
EDUCATION
Andreas Taschner holds a PhD in Management Sciences of Wirtschafts Universität Wien (Austria) and has spent part of his studies at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (USA).
Project Management
Dr. A. J. Gilbert Silvius
CURRENT POSITION
Gilbert Silvius is an experienced and innovative researcher, author, lecturer, consultant and trainer in the field of project management, with affiliations at HU University of Applied Sciences Utrecht, Wittenborg University of Applied Sciences, and the University of Johannesburg. Dr. Silvius is considered one of the leading experts in the field of sustainability in project management. He has authored several books and over 60 academic journal articles on this topic. For his work, he received the GPM 2013 sustainability award and an 2020 outstanding contribution IPMA research award.
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Dr. Silvius is an internationally experienced consultant/trainer in project management and member of the international enable2change network of project management experts. As a practitioner, he has over 25 years hands-on experience in organizational change and IT projects.
EDUCATION
Gilbert Silvius holds a PhD degree in information sciences from Utrecht University and masters’ degrees in economics and business administration. He is also a certified project manager, scrum master and product owner.
Marketing Analysis and Instruments
Dr. Pascal Vuichard
CURRENT POSITION
Pascal Vuichard is a Senior Lecturer at the University of St.Gallen and an Adjunct Assistant Professor at HKUST. In addition, Pascal helps lead the Deloitte Hong Kong Climate Chance & Sustainability practice where he is assisting clients in driving sustainability projects spanning across different sectors including the public sector, energy, mobility, waste management, and the buildings sector. The project focus ranges from cleantech market analysis to carbon accounting and setting science-based targets to developing decarbonisation roadmaps to reach net zero emissions. Operate projects include the development of end-to-end services for renewable energy procurement for large corporates in the Hong Kong market place.
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Pascal has more than 10 years of experience in the sustainability and climate field and has advised policymakers, investors, and regulators in various countries around the world. Previously, he has gained interdisciplinary professional experience with an NGO active on improving water efficiency in South Asia and an international IT company in Switzerland. He has also served on his home state’s parliament and on the executive council of a mid-sized Swiss city.
EDUCATION
Pascal holds a PhD in Renewable Energy Management from the University of St. Gallen and is an alumnus of the CEMS Master in International Management at the University of St. Gallen and the London School of Economics.
Human Resources and People Management / International Management
Prof. Dr. Michael Müller
CURRENT POSITION
Michael Mueller has been teaching Corporate Management at the Berliner Hochschule für Technik (BHT) since April 2023.
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Michael gained 22 years of professional experience and management expertise in the BASF Group – the world´s largest chemical company – and in management consulting with Horváth. He has worked with more than 25 medium-sized companies and large corporations in various industries on challenges in corporate management, business transformation, and international project management. Michael has lived and worked in Europe, the USA, and Russia. In his last position before his current professorship, Michael was Vice President leading an interdisciplinary team dealing with the strategic, financial, and contractual matters of the natural gas transport business within BASF.
Michael has been engaged as a speaker and lecturer at international conferences (Frankfurt, Zurich, Philadelphia, Charleston, Detroit etc.) on various management topics (strategy, finance, processes & organisation). He is the author of numerous professional publications.
EDUCATION
Michael holds a doctoral degree in Industrial Management (Dr. rer. pol.) from European Business School, Oestrich-Winkel (Germany). He studied Industrial Engineering at the Technical University of Berlin (Germany) and at the University of California at Berkeley, CA (USA).
Advanced Research Methods
Prof. Dr. Peter Weimann
CURRENT POSITION
Prof. Dr. Peter Weimann is Professor for Information Systems at the Berliner Hochschule für Technik (BHT) in Berlin since 2006.
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
He has broad experiences as a senior project manager, served as head of branch offices and acted as senior consultant for the private industry and Federal Ministries in Germany. He has written several books and published his research in numerous per reviewed journals. His research interests involve the use of technology in virtual project teams, sustainability and IS, information technology in Europe and Africa and the application of information technology in Health Care.
EDUCATION
Prof. Dr. Peter Weimann holds a master in computer science and has obtained his PhD from University of Cape Town (UCT), South Africa. His main professional emphasis lies in the field of business engineering, research methodology, change management, project management, and the development and introduction of new IT systems.
Integrated Business Plan Development
Mr. Alexander Boensch
CURRENT POSITION
Alexander Boensch works as a self-employed corporate finance advisor and is Project Director at the Renewables Academy (RENAC).
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
In 2003, he started his own advisory business specializing in Project & Structured Finance consulting for renewable energy companies after spending five years in corporate and investment banking. In his advisory mandates, Alexander oversees corporate finance, risk management, procurement of capital, financial modelling, bank marketing and M&A activities for his clients. In addition to the consulting work, he is teaching finance-related classes at two universities in Berlin and is member of RENAC’s Green Banking capacity building team.
EDUCATION
Alexander Boensch graduated from Berlin School of Economics and Law (HWR Berlin) and has completed a vocational training in the banking industry.
Electives
Energy Management and Energy Efficiency
Marta Stetsiv
CURRENT POSITION
Marta Stetsiv is an energy efficiency expert at RENAC. As part of the Solar & Energy Efficiency Division, she conceptualises, plans, develops and manages international and national training programmes, materials, and projects for energy efficiency.
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Before joining RENAC, Marta Stetsiv worked as a technical advisor at GIZ Ukraine for two IKI (Internationale Klimaschutzinitiative) projects focusing on energy efficiency in buildings. There she coordinated the planning and implementation of refurbishing multi-storey residential buildings, including construction. Marta Stetsiv also brings extensive experience as a team lead and engineer in the energy sector. She has an in-depth understanding of electricity supply networks and industries, markets and policies, and technical details of power grids and their components.
EDUCATION
Marta Stetsiv received her master’s degree in Electrical Engineering Systems of Energy Consumption from Lviv Polytechnic National University in Ukraine. She is CQI IRCA Certified ISO 50001:2018 Energy Management System Lead Auditor and Certified Expert in Climate Adaptation Finance.
Entrepreneurship
Alexander Haferland
CURRENT POSITION
Alexander Haferland works as a Chief Technology Officer and Startup Mentor. His core expertise lies in the areas of leadership, technology, and innovation. Additionally, he is engaged academic research and digital innovation projects around renewable energies and archaeology.
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Mr. Haferland is a Senior Technical Leader and Startup Mentor with more than 20 years experience in technology and innovation. With in-depth expertise in the Energy industry he has been working as an Engineering Leader and CTO in different companies, ranging from startups to large corporations. He also works a university lecturer for Entrepreneurship and Renewable Energies.
EDUCATION
Mr. Haferland holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree in Renewables and a Bachelor of Engineering (B.-Eng.) degree in Communication Systems.
Renewable Hydrogen – Power-to-X
Prof. Florian Schindler (PhD)
CURRENT POSITION
Prof. Dr. Schindler is heading the Institute of Distance Learning (IDL) at the Berlin University of Applied Sciences and Technologies (BHT). The Institute of Distance Learning is offering postgraduate master’s study and bachelor’s programmes as well as professional training programmes. His major fields of interest are renewable energies, environmental management, resource, and energy efficiency as well as international project management.
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Prof. Dr. Schindler has been an international consultant for the German International Cooperation Agency (giz) working more than 10 years in Asia and South America. As an international expert he was leading environmental and resource efficiency projects. Within these projects he promoted the Centre for Environmental Studies (CES) at the largest Technical University in India and implemented integrated management systems in 5 countries of South America (MERCOSUR). As an international expert, he planned, evaluated or was a trainer in several international renewable and energy efficiency projects in Central Asia, Central and South America and South-East Asia. From 2021 onwards he forms part of the professors team of the green hydrogen / PTX- Hub of the German International Cooperation Agency (GIZ).
EDUCATION
Prof. Schindler holds a PhD in environmental engineering working with membrane technologies and electrolysis applications, an engineering degree in biotechnology and has a business administration graduation from the Business and Administration Academy. Furthermore, he is an international consultant and accredited Energy Manager ISO 50001, environmental auditor ISO 14001 and member of the international professor’s team of the green hydrogen / Power-to-X (PTX) Hub of the German International Cooperation Agency (GIZ).
Advanced Practical Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Implementation
Uta Zähringer, M.A., M.Sc.
CURRENT POSITION
Uta Zähringer is Head of RENAC’s Department Academic Programmes and Professional Trainings.
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
She has been part of the RENAC team since 2012. From 2005 – 2012 she worked as a freelance consultant and expert for the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), the German Association of Energy and Water Industries (bdew), the Investment Bank Schleswig-Holstein Energy Agency and the Renewables Academy (RENAC) AG, among others. From 2001 until 2004 she was project associate of the international department at the German Energy Agency (dena). 1999 – 2001 she worked as a research assistant at the German Institute of Economic Research (DIW Berlin) for the German economic advisory group of the Ukrainian government.
EDUCATION
Uta Zähringer studied Economics and East European Studies in Berlin (FU Berlin) and she graduated with an MSc in Renewable Energy from the University of Applied Sciences (HAW) in Hamburg.
